U.S. patent application number 16/846834 was filed with the patent office on 2020-07-30 for fibers having electrically conductive core and color-changing coating.
This patent application is currently assigned to UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.. Invention is credited to Ayman ABOURADDY, Joshua KAUFMAN, Morgan MONROE, Felix TAN.
Application Number | 20200240041 16/846834 |
Document ID | 20200240041 / US20200240041 |
Family ID | 1000004800147 |
Filed Date | 2020-07-30 |
Patent Application | download [pdf] |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200240041 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ABOURADDY; Ayman ; et
al. |
July 30, 2020 |
FIBERS HAVING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CORE AND COLOR-CHANGING
COATING
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a color-changing fiber includes
loading a polymeric material and a thermochromic pigment material
into a fiber fabrication machine that comprises an extruder and a
spinneret, operating the extruder to provide a molten mixture of
the polymeric material and the thermochromic pigment material,
providing a volume of the molten mixture to the spinneret, and
operating the spinneret to coat an electrically conductive core
with the molten mixture to form a coating layer around the
electrically conductive core to produce the color-changing fiber.
The polymeric material and the thermochromic pigment material are
provided as (a) a first raw material comprising the polymeric
material and a second raw material comprising the thermochromic
pigment material or (b) a thermochromic pigment and polymer
mixture.
Inventors: |
ABOURADDY; Ayman; (Orlando,
FL) ; KAUFMAN; Joshua; (Orlando, FL) ; TAN;
Felix; (Orlando, FL) ; MONROE; Morgan;
(Orlando, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. |
Orlando |
FL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
Orlando
FL
|
Family ID: |
1000004800147 |
Appl. No.: |
16/846834 |
Filed: |
April 13, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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PCT/US2018/056323 |
Oct 17, 2018 |
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16846834 |
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62573861 |
Oct 18, 2017 |
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62671966 |
May 15, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 1/22 20130101; G02F
1/0147 20130101; D01D 5/32 20130101; A41D 1/002 20130101; C09K 9/02
20130101; D01F 8/04 20130101; D01F 1/04 20130101; D01D 11/06
20130101; A43B 3/0005 20130101 |
International
Class: |
D01D 11/06 20060101
D01D011/06; D01D 5/32 20060101 D01D005/32; D01F 1/04 20060101
D01F001/04; D01F 8/04 20060101 D01F008/04; C09K 9/02 20060101
C09K009/02; G02F 1/01 20060101 G02F001/01 |
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a color-changing fiber, the method
comprising: loading a polymeric material and a thermochromic
pigment material into a fiber fabrication machine that comprises an
extruder and a spinneret, wherein the polymeric material and the
thermochromic pigment material are provided as (a) a first raw
material comprising the polymeric material and a second raw
material comprising the thermochromic pigment material or (b) a
thermochromic pigment and polymer mixture; operating the extruder
to provide a molten mixture of the polymeric material and the
thermochromic pigment material; providing a volume of the molten
mixture to the spinneret; and operating the spinneret to coat an
electrically conductive core with the molten mixture to form a
coating layer around the electrically conductive core to produce a
color-changing fiber.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the fiber fabrication machine
includes a single hopper and a single extruder that receive the
polymeric material and the thermochromic pigment material; or the
fiber fabrication machine includes (i) a first hopper and a first
extruder that receive the polymeric material and (ii) a second
hopper and a second extruder that receive the thermochromic pigment
material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive core
comprises a metallic or non-metallic electrically conductive
material.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the color-changing fiber is a
first fiber, and the method further comprises braiding the first
fiber with a second fiber to provide a color-changing yarn.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second fiber is the same as
the first fiber.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second fiber is a
non-color-changing fiber including at least one of a natural fiber,
a synthetic fiber, or a photovoltaic fiber.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein the coating layer is a first
coating layer, and wherein the second fiber includes a second
coating layer that at least one of has a different thermochromic
pigment material or has a different polymeric material than the
first coating layer on the first fiber.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive core
includes a plurality of cores, and wherein the coating layer is
disposed around, along, and between the plurality of cores.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein: the color-changing fiber
includes phosphor (i) within the coating layer and/or (ii) disposed
between the coating layer and the electrically conductive core; and
the phosphor is configured to facilitate providing a
selectively-controllable glow-in-the-dark effect.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: (i)
controlling the volume of the molten mixture provided to the
spinneret to provide the coating layer on the electrically
conductive core with a desired thickness; (ii) controlling a speed
at which the electrically conductive core is driven through the
spinneret to provide the coating layer on the electrically
conductive core with the desired thickness; (iii) quenching the
color-changing fiber after coating the electrically conductive core
with the molten mixture; or (iv) winding the color-changing fiber
onto a spool.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive core
is a prefabricated wire, and the method further comprises providing
the prefabricated wire to the spinneret.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber fabrication machine
includes a core delivery system, and the method further comprises:
loading the core delivery system with raw core materials; and
operating the core delivery system to (i) melt the raw core
materials into molten core materials and (ii) provide the molten
core materials to the spinneret; wherein the spinneret is a
bicomponent melt extrusion pack configured to co-extrude the molten
core materials and the molten mixture in the form of the
color-changing fiber.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating layer is an inner
coating layer, and the method further comprises coating the
color-changing fiber with a different molten mixture having at
least one of a different polymeric material or a different
thermochromic pigment material to form an outer coating layer over
the inner coating layer.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: (i)
arranging the color-changing fiber to form at least a portion of a
fabric; (ii) embroidering the color-changing fiber to the portion
of the fabric; or (iii) arranging the color-changing fiber into a
patch and coupling the patch to the portion of the fabric; wherein
the electrically conductive core of the color-changing fiber is
connectable to a power source to facilitate selectively providing
an electrical current to the electrically conductive core to
activate the thermochromic pigment material within the coating
layer of the color-changing fiber.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive core
includes a plurality of electrically conductive cores that are
simultaneously coated with the molten mixture using the spinneret,
and wherein each of the plurality of electrically conductive cores
coated with the molten mixture forms a separate color-changing
fiber, further comprising at least one of: (i) separately winding
each of the separate color-changing fibers onto separate spools; or
(ii) braiding each of the separate color-changing fibers to provide
a color-changing yarn.
16. A method for manufacturing a color-changing product, the method
comprising: providing a fabric or a product including the fabric;
providing a color-changing fiber or a color-changing yarn including
the color-changing fiber, the color-changing fiber including (i) an
electrically conductive core and (ii) a coating disposed around the
electrically conductive core, the coating including a thermochromic
pigment; embroidering the color-changing fiber or the
color-changing yarn to a portion of the fabric; electrically
connecting the electrically conductive core to a power source, the
power source configured to facilitate selectively providing an
electrical current to the electrically conductive core to activate
the thermochromic pigment within the coating of the color-changing
fiber; and connecting a controller to the power source; wherein the
controller is configured to provide the electrical current from the
power source to the electrically conductive core in response to
receiving an input from an input device, wherein the controller is
electrically connected to or wirelessly connectable to the input
device.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically
connecting the controller to the input device, wherein the input
device includes a least one of a piezoelectric sensor, a button, or
a switch, and wherein the power source includes at least one of a
battery, a solar panel, a photovoltaic fiber integrated into the
fabric, a photovoltaic patch integrated into the fabric, or a mains
power supply.
18. A color-changing product comprising: a fabric, at least a
portion of the fabric including or arranged using at least one of
(i) a color-changing fiber or (ii) a color-changing yarn including
the color-changing fiber, the color-changing fiber including (i) an
electrically conductive core and (ii) a coating disposed around the
electrically conductive core, the coating including a thermochromic
pigment; a power source configured to provide electrical current to
the electrically conductive core to activate the thermochromic
pigment to cause a color-change to the portion of the fabric; and a
controller configured to selectively activate the power source in
response to receiving an input from an input device, wherein the
controller is electrically connected to or wirelessly connectable
to the input device.
19. The color-changing product of claim 18, wherein the at least
one of the color-changing fiber or the color-changing yarn is
embroidered to the portion of the fabric.
20. The color-changing product of claim 18, wherein the at least
one of the color-changing fiber or the color-changing yarn is
arranged into a patch that is coupled to the portion of the fabric.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of International Patent
Application No. PCT/US2018/056323, filed Oct. 17, 2018, which
claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/573,861, filed Oct. 18, 2017, U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/581,425, filed Nov. 3, 2017, and U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/671,966, filed May 15, 2018,
all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Thermochromic pigments change color in response to a thermal
stimulus (e.g., as they change temperature, etc.). Thermochromic
pigments may include liquid crystals, while other thermochromic
pigments may use organic dyes (e.g., carbon-based dyes, etc.) known
as leucodyes. Leucodyes are (i) optically transparent or have a
particular color at a first temperature and (ii) become visible or
change to a different color at a second temperature. Such a change
is evident to an observer as the temperature rises or falls.
Leucodyes are organic chemicals that change color when heat energy
makes their molecules shift back and forth between two subtly
differently structures, known as the leuco (colorless) and
non-leuco (colored) forms. Thermochromic liquid crystals may shift
color up and down the visible spectrum as they get hotter or
colder, while leucodyes may be mixed in various ways to produce
different kinds of color-changing effects at a wide range of
temperatures.
SUMMARY
[0003] One embodiment relates to a method of manufacturing a
color-changing fiber. The method includes loading a polymeric
material and a thermochromic pigment material into a fiber
fabrication machine that comprises an extruder and a spinneret,
operating the extruder to provide a molten mixture of the polymeric
material and the thermochromic pigment material, providing a volume
of the molten mixture to the spinneret, and operating the spinneret
to coat an electrically conductive core with the molten mixture to
form a coating layer around the electrically conductive core to
produce the color-changing fiber. The polymeric material and the
thermochromic pigment material are provided as (a) a first raw
material comprising the polymeric material and a second raw
material comprising the thermochromic pigment material or (b) a
thermochromic pigment and polymer mixture.
[0004] Another embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a
color-changing product. The method includes providing a fabric or a
product including the fabric; providing a color-changing fiber or a
color-changing yarn including the color-changing fiber where (a)
the color-changing fiber includes (i) an electrically conductive
core and (ii) a coating disposed around the electrically conductive
core and (b) the coating includes a thermochromic pigment;
embroidering the color-changing fiber or the color-changing yarn to
a portion of the fabric; electrically connecting the electrically
conductive core to a power source where the power source is
configured to facilitate selectively providing an electrical
current to the electrically conductive core to activate the
thermochromic pigment within the coating of the color-changing
fiber; and connecting a controller to the power source. The
controller is configured to provide the electrical current from the
power source to the electrically conductive core in response to
receiving an input from an input device. The controller is
electrically connected to or wirelessly connectable to the input
device.
[0005] Still another embodiment relates to a color-changing
product. The color changing product includes a fabric, a power
source, and a controller. At least a portion of the fabric includes
or is arranged using at least one of (i) a color-changing fiber or
(ii) a color-changing yarn including the color-changing fiber. The
color-changing fiber includes (i) an electrically conductive core
and (ii) a coating disposed around the electrically conductive
core. The coating includes a thermochromic pigment. The power
source is configured to provide electrical current to the
electrically conductive core to activate the thermochromic pigment
to cause a color-change to the portion of the fabric. The
controller is configured to selectively activate the power source
in response to receiving an input from an input device. The
controller is electrically connected to or wirelessly connectable
to the input device.
[0006] This summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be
in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and
advantages of the devices or processes described herein will become
apparent in the detailed description set forth herein, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a color-changing
monofilament, according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a side view of a color-changing multifilament at
least partially formed from one or more of the color-changing
monofilaments of FIGS. 1-7, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fiber fabrication machine
used to produce color-changing monofilaments, according to an
exemplary embodiment.
[0016] FIGS. 10A-10E are various raw materials that may be used by
the fiber fabrication machine of FIG. 9 to form a coating of the
color-changing monofilaments, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 11 is a detailed view of a melt pump and a spinneret of
the fiber fabrication machine of FIG. 9, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0018] FIG. 12 is a detailed view of a quench assembly of the fiber
fabrication machine of FIG. 9, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0019] FIGS. 13 and 14 are detailed views of a winder assembly of
the fiber fabrication machine of FIG. 9, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0020] FIG. 15 is a detailed view of a multi-filament spinneret of
the fiber fabrication machine of FIG. 9, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0021] FIGS. 16-18 are various images of a fabric prototype,
according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0022] FIG. 19 is a schematic of the fabric prototype of FIGS.
16-18, according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0023] FIG. 20 visually depicts a process of manufacturing an
electrically controllable, color-changing end product, according to
an exemplary embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 21A-21D visually depict a process of electrically
connecting color-changing fibers to a power source, according to an
exemplary embodiment.
[0025] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a connector, according to
an exemplary embodiment.
[0026] FIGS. 23 and 24 show a first color-changing product in a
first state and a second state, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0027] FIGS. 25 and 26 show a second color-changing product in a
first state and a second state, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0028] FIGS. 27 and 28 show a third color-changing product having a
patch in a first state and a second state, according to an
exemplary embodiment.
[0029] FIGS. 29 and 30 show a fourth color-changing product having
an embroidered portion in a first state and a second state,
according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0030] FIGS. 31 and 32 show a fifth color-changing product having
an embroidered portion in a first state and a second state,
according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram of a control system for the
color-changing products of FIGS. 23-32, according to an exemplary
embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram of a graphical user interface
of an application provided by an input device, according to an
exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] Before turning to the figures, which illustrate certain
exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the
present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set
forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should
also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the
purpose of description only and should not be regarded as
limiting.
Overview
[0034] The present disclosure is generally directed to the field of
fabric technology and, more particularly, is directed to fibers,
yarns, and fabrics having an on-demand (e.g., active, dynamic,
selectively controllable, etc.) color-changing capability.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a color-changing monofilament
(e.g., a filament, a strand, a fiber, etc.), which is optionally
formed (e.g., combined, twisted, braided, etc.) into a
multifilament (e.g., yarn, thread, etc.), is configured to be
either (i) incorporated into (e.g., stitched into, sewn into,
embroidered into, integrated into, coupled to via a patch, etc.) an
existing product or (ii) arranged (e.g., knit, woven, etc.) to form
a new product. The color-changing monofilament includes at least
one conductive core (e.g., an electrically conductive core, a
thermally conductive core, a multi-core, etc.) and a color-changing
coating disposed around and along the at least one conductive core.
The color-changing coating includes one or more layers (e.g., one,
two, three, four, etc.). Each of the one or more layers has one or
more different color-changing portions or segments having a
respective thermochromic pigment. An electrical current provided to
the conductive core, and thereby the temperature of the conductive
core, is selectively controllable to actively and dynamically
adjust the color of the color-changing coating.
[0035] Current fabric products having appearance and color-changing
capabilities are passively controlled in response to environmental
stimuli (e.g., sunlight, body heat, etc.). By way of example,
photochromic dyes may be used in prints on clothing that change
color in sunlight. By way of another example, thermochromic dyes
may be used to passively change the color of a fabric through body
heat and/or ambient heat. Advantageously, the color-changing
monofilament of the present disclosure facilitates dynamically
changing one or more visual characteristics of a fabric or product
on-demand.
[0036] According to various exemplary embodiments, the
color-changing monofilament is capable of being incorporated into
or arranged to form (i) apparel such as headbands, wristbands,
ties, bowties, shirts, jerseys, gloves, scarves, jackets, pants,
shorts, dresses, skirts, blouses, footwear/shoes, belts, hats,
etc.; (ii) accessories such as purses, backpacks, luggage, wallets,
jewelry, hair accessories, etc.; (iii) home goods, decor, and fixed
installations such as curtains, window blinds, furniture and
furniture accessories, table cloths, blankets, bed sheets, pillow
cases, rugs, wall paper, art/paintings, automotive interiors, etc.;
(iv) outdoor applications and equipment such as tents, awnings,
umbrellas, canopies, signage, etc.; and/or (v) still other suitable
applications. Further applications may include camouflage (e.g.,
military camouflage, hunting camouflage, etc.), which may be
dynamically (e.g., selectively, adaptively, etc.) changed to suit
daytime, nighttime, season, desert locations, snow locations,
forest locations, urban locations, and/or other environmental
conditions.
Color-Changing Fiber
[0037] According to the various exemplary embodiments shown in
FIGS. 1-7, a color-changing monofilament (e.g., a filament, a
fiber, a strand, etc.), shown as color-changing fiber 10, includes
a conductive core, shown as core 12, and a color-changing coating
(e.g., sheath, cover, casing, etc.), shown as coating 14, disposed
around and along the core 12 such that the core 12 is embedded
within the coating 14. According to an exemplary embodiment, the
core 12 is manufactured from an electrically conductive material.
In one embodiment, the core 12 is manufactured from a metal or
metal alloy. By way of example, the core 12 may be manufactured
from copper, nickel, aluminum, zinc, silver, gold, titanium,
tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, platinum, palladium, combinations
thereof, and/or another suitable metal or metal alloy. In other
embodiments, the core 12 is manufactured from a non-metallic,
electrically conductive material. By way of example, the core 12
may be manufactured from a heavily doped semiconductor, a polymer
doped with a conductive phase (e.g., an electrically conductive
(conjugated) polymer, etc.), and/or carbon phases (e.g., graphite,
graphene, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanowires, etc.). In some
embodiments, the core 12 includes electrically conductive contacts
manufactured from a metallic material that is different than the
material of the core 12. In such embodiments, the core 12 itself
may or may not be conductive (e.g., a plastic core, any flexible
core capable of being woven, etc.). According to an exemplary
embodiment, the color-changing fibers 10 are flexible to permit
weaving and knitting and durable as textile fibers such that the
resultant end product is launderable (i.e., capable of being washed
or laundered).
[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment, the color-changing
fiber 10 has dimensions (e.g., diameter, etc.) suitable for weaving
in an industrial loom. By way of example, the transverse dimensions
(e.g., diameter, width, etc.) of the color-changing fiber 10 and/or
a multifilament fiber (e.g., thread, yarn, etc.) formed therefrom
may generally be less than 1 millimeter. In some embodiments, the
transverse dimensions are less than 600 micrometers. In some
embodiments, the transverse dimensions are less than 40
micrometers. In some embodiments, the transverse dimensions are in
a range from 15 micrometers to 30 micrometers. The diameter of the
core 12 may range between 1 micrometer and 500 micrometers. The
internal cross-sectional structure of the color-changing fiber 10
may have many variations from, for example, a single core with a
cladding coating, a multi-core within a cladding coating, a single
core with concentric ring coating layers, a single core with a
multi-segment coating in the azimuthal direction, combinations
thereof, etc. Further, while the color-changing fiber 10 is shown
in FIGS. 1-7 to have a circular cross-sectional shape, in other
embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10 has a different
cross-sectional shape (e.g., square, triangular, rectangular,
etc.). In such embodiments, the core 12 may have a circular
cross-sectional shape or may have another shape that corresponds
with the cross-sectional shape of the coating 14.
[0039] According to an exemplary embodiment, the coating 14
includes one or more layers of polymeric material (e.g., a polymer,
a polymer composite, a polymer with polycrystalline material,
Hytrel, cyclic olefin copolymer, polypropylene, nylon, polyester,
etc.). At least one of the one or more layers of polymeric material
includes a reversible thermochromic pigment combined (e.g., mixed,
compounded, impregnated, etc.) therewith such that the respective
layer changes color in response to a temperature change thereof
(e.g., the thermochromic pigment transitions from a first color to
a second color when heated and transitions from the second color to
the first color when cooled, etc.) and/or (ii) in response to an
electrical current being provided to the core 12. Generally, any
suitable reversible thermochromic pigment composition may be used.
For example, the thermochromic pigment may include a liquid crystal
material and/or a leucodye. In one embodiment, the coating 14
includes a single layer of polymeric material. In another
embodiment, the coating 14 includes a plurality of concentric
layers of polymeric material. In some embodiments, each of the
plurality of concentric layers of polymeric material includes a
respective thermochromic pigment. In some embodiments, at least one
of the plurality of layers of polymeric material does not include a
thermochromic pigment, but rather the pigment of the at least one
polymeric material is substantially fixed and does not change (due
to temperature or electrical current). The material of the coating
14 may be appropriately chosen for its properties based on the
specific application for the color-changing fiber 10.
[0040] In operation, an electrical current (e.g., provided by a
power source such as a battery, a solar panel, a photovoltaic
fiber, etc. for portable applications; provided by a power source
such as battery, a solar panel, a photovoltaic fiber, a mains power
supply, a standard wall socket, etc. for fixed installations; etc.)
is passed through the core 12. The resistance of the core 12 to the
electrical current causes the temperature of the core 12 to elevate
and thereby heat and activate the thermochromic pigment of the
coating 14 to transition the color thereof from a first color to a
second color (e.g., from a darker color to a lighter color, from
one opaque color to a different opaque color, from opaque to
transparent, or the like when a temperature transition threshold is
reached). The color-changing fiber 10 may operate at low voltages
(e.g., 12 volts or less, etc.). By way of example, the core 12 may
be selected so that the current drawn from the power source is
about 1 ampere, which then for a 5 volt DC power means the core 12
should have a resistance of about 5 ohms. In some embodiments, the
color-changing fiber 10 transitions from the first color to the
second color in 10s or 100s of milliseconds (e.g., depending on the
amount of power applied, etc.). In some embodiments, the transition
may be extended to seconds or even minutes to reduce energy
consumption.
[0041] The color-changing fiber 10 may remain continuously biased
at the second color and thus retain the second color until the user
decides to remove the applied power to enable transitioning the
color of the coating 14 back to the first color. In some
embodiments, removing the electrical current results in the coating
14 transitioning from the second color back to the first color. The
coating 14 may remain at the second color for several seconds or
minutes following the removal of the electrical current. The
transition time from the second color back to the first color may
depend on the environmental temperature (e.g., body temperature of
the person, temperature of the ambient environment, etc.) and the
temperature at which the thermochromic pigment
activates/deactivates (e.g., the temperature transition threshold,
etc.).
[0042] In some embodiments, removing the electrical current does
not result in the coating 14 transitioning from the second color
back to the first color. By way of example, the temperature at
which the thermochromic pigment returns to the first color may be
below the environmental temperature. In such a case, removing the
electrical current does not result in the color transitioning from
the second color back to the first color. Rather, in such
embodiments, the color of the coating 14 may remain fixed until
extra cooling is applied to the color-changing fiber 10 to change
the color back to the first color. By way of another example, the
coating 14 may include a respective thermochromic pigment that
exhibits thermal hysteresis in its photo-thermal behavior. For
example, once the respective thermochromic pigment reaches its
temperature transition threshold, the color thereof transitions.
However, the coating 14 may retain the new color even when the
temperature drops below the temperature transition threshold. In
such a case, the respective thermochromic pigment may need to be
brought to a temperature lower than the temperature transition
threshold to return to its original color (e.g., 5, 10, 15, etc.
degrees lower than the temperature transition threshold, etc.).
Such an asymmetric transition capability may advantageously assist
in reducing the electrical power needed for maintaining the second
color of the coating 14 following the transition from the original,
first color of the coating 14 to the second color.
[0043] According to an exemplary embodiment, impregnating or
otherwise mixing the material of the coating 14 with one or more
thermochromic pigments facilitates controlling the optical
properties of the resultant fabric or other end product that the
color-changing fiber 10 is incorporated into. By way of example,
changing the pigment concentration may yield a variety of
dynamically controllable optical effects, such as transitioning
from one solid color to another, transitioning from a solid color
to a semi-transparent sheer effect, transitioning from a solid
color to transparent or substantially transparent, etc. By way of
another example, the selection of the type and concentration of the
pigments within the material of the coating 14 may be specifically
tailored to suit each individual application in order to provide a
desired original color and transition color, optimize the
transition temperature, provide a desired transition time, and/or
minimize power consumption required to perform and/or maintain the
transition.
[0044] In some embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10 includes
phosphor (e.g., within the coating 14, disposed between the core 12
and the coating 14, in an independent coating layer, etc.). The
phosphor may facilitate providing a color-changing fiber 10 with a
selectively controllable "glow-in-the-dark" effect. By way of
example, if the coating 14 transitions to a transparent state from
an opaque state, with the phosphor disposed underneath the coating,
the phosphor may glow through the coating 14 when in the
transparent state to provide a luminescent fiber. By way of another
example, if the coating 14 includes phosphor, the phosphor may
"glow" as an electrical current is provided to the color-changing
fiber 10.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the coating 14 of the color-changing
fiber 10 includes a first layer (e.g., a single layer, etc.), shown
as layer 20, disposed around and along the core 12. The layer 20
includes a first material, shown as material 22. The material 22
may include a respective polymer or polymer composite that includes
a respective thermochromic pigment. The material 22 may transition
from a first color (e.g., a relatively darker color, purple, green,
etc.) to a second color (e.g., a relatively lighter color, red,
yellow, etc.) at a first temperature transition threshold. The
first temperature transition threshold may be dependent on (i) the
respective polymer or polymer composite, (ii) the respective
thermochromic pigment, and/or (iii) the concentration of the
respective thermochromic pigment. The first temperature transition
threshold may be designed to be at a temperature between about 0
degrees Celsius and about 70 degrees Celsius. The temperature
transition threshold may be selected based on the intended
application of the end product including the color-changing fibers
10. By way of example, the temperature transition threshold may be
about 0 degrees Celsius (e.g., between -15 and 15 degrees Celsius,
etc.) for a garment intended for an outdoor winter application. By
way another of example, the temperature transition threshold may be
about 27 degrees Celsius (e.g., between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius,
etc.) for a garment intended for an indoor application. By way of
yet another example, the temperature transition threshold may be
about 38 degrees Celsius (e.g., between 30 and 45 degrees Celsius,
etc.) for a garment intended for an outdoor summer application. By
way of still another example, the temperature transition threshold
may be about 49 degrees Celsius (e.g., between 45 and 50 degrees
Celsius, etc.) for a garment intended for a desert environment
application (e.g., military use, etc.). In some embodiments, the
transition from the first color to the second color includes a
spectrum of colors between the first color and the second color. By
way of example, the first color may be purple, the second color may
be white, and an intermediate color or colors may be blue and/or
red. In some embodiments, the second color is colorless or
transparent such that the color of the core 12 is exposed and
visible.
[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates a color-changing fiber according to
another exemplary embodiment, in which a coating thereof is divided
into different segments (for ease of reference, similar components
in the various exemplary embodiments discussed herein bear the same
reference numerals). As shown in FIG. 2, the coating 14 of the
color-changing fiber 10 includes a layer 20 disposed around and
along the core 12 that has four azimuthal segments in which a first
segment includes the material 22, a second segment includes a
second material (shown as material 24), a third segment includes a
third material (shown as material 26), and a fourth segment
includes a fourth material (shown as material 28). In other
embodiments, the layer 20 includes fewer or greater than four
azimuthal segments (e.g., two, three, five, six, etc. segments). In
some embodiments, the azimuthal segments are equally sized. In
other embodiments, the azimuthal segments may be differently sized.
Each of the material 22, the material 24, the material 26, and/or
the material 28 may include a polymer or polymer composite that
includes a thermochromic pigment. The composition of the various
segments may differ depending on the desired effect. In some
embodiments, the polymer or polymer composite of the material 22,
the material 24, the material 26, and/or the material 28 are the
same, and the thermochromic pigments thereof and/or the
concentrations of the thermochromic pigments may differ between the
different segments (according to other embodiments, the polymer or
polymer composite used for one or more of the various segments may
also vary). Each of the material 22, the material 24, the material
26, and/or the material 28 may transition from a first color to a
second color at a first temperature transition threshold, a second
temperature transition threshold, a third temperature transition
threshold, and a fourth temperature transition threshold,
respectively. The first color of the material 22, the material 24,
the material 26, and/or the material 28 may be different or the
same. The second color of the material 22, the material 24, the
material 26, and the material 28 may be different or the same. The
first temperature transition threshold, the second temperature
transition threshold, the third temperature transition threshold,
and/or the fourth temperature transition threshold may be the same,
similar, or different (e.g., dependent on the respective polymer or
polymer composite and/or the respective thermochromic pigment and
concentration thereof, etc.).
[0047] The color of the coating 14 may be seen differently based on
the angle at which the azimuthal segments of the coating 14 are
being viewed. In some embodiments, the azimuthal segments of the
coating 14 facilitate providing the appearance of a shimmering or
iridescent material. By way of example, if the coating 14 has
multiple azimuthal segments, then the angle at which the
color-changing fibers 10 are viewed may change how the colors
appear, leading to a shimmering effect. Also, if one or more of the
azimuthal segment of the coating 14 include a pigment that
transitions to a transparent state, then the core 12 may show
through, leading to a shimmering or iridescent effect depending on
the angle at which the color-changing fibers 10 are viewed.
[0048] FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a color-changing
fiber. As shown in FIG. 3, the coating 14 of the color-changing
fiber 10 has a plurality of concentric layers including the layer
20 disposed around and along the core 12, a second layer, shown as
layer 30, disposed around and along the layer 20, and a third
layer, shows as layer 40, disposed around and along the layer 30.
In other embodiments, the coating 14 includes fewer or greater than
three layers (e.g., two, four, etc. layers). The thickness of the
layer 20, the layer 30, and/or the layer 40 may be the same or
different.
[0049] As shown in FIG. 3, the layer 20 includes the material 22,
the layer 30 includes a second material, shown as material 32, and
the layer 40 includes a third material, shown as material 42. Each
of the material 22, the material 32, and/or the material 42 may
include a respective polymer or polymer composite that includes a
respective thermochromic pigment. In some embodiments, the polymer
or polymer composite of the material 22, the material 32, and/or
the material 42 are the same, but the thermochromic pigments
thereof and/or the concentrations of the thermochromic pigments
differ. Each of the material 22, the material 32, and/or the
material 42 may transition from a first color to a second color at
a first temperature transition threshold, a second temperature
transition threshold, and a third temperature transition threshold,
respectively. In some embodiments, the material 22 of the layer 20
does not include a thermochromic pigment such that the color
thereof is substantially fixed. In such an embodiment, the material
32 of the layer 30 and the material 42 of the layer 40 may
transition from an opaque color to transparent to expose the fixed
color of the layer 20. According to an exemplary embodiment, the
first temperature transition threshold is greater than the second
temperature transition threshold and/or the second temperature
transition threshold is greater than the third temperature
transition threshold. Accordingly, (i) the material 42 of the layer
40 may transition from a first color to transparent at the third
temperature transition threshold to expose a second color of the
material 32 of the layer 30 underneath, (ii) the material 32 of the
layer 30 may transition from the second color to transparent at the
second temperature transition threshold to expose a third color of
the material 22 of the layer 20 underneath, and (iii) either (a)
the material 22 of the layer 20 may transition from the third color
to transparent at the first temperature transition threshold to
expose the core 12, (b) the material 22 of the layer 20 may
transition from the third color to a fourth color (e.g., a
non-transparent color, etc.) at the first temperature transition
threshold, or (c) the color of the material 22 is substantially
fixed.
[0050] FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a color-changing
fiber. As shown in FIG. 4, the coating 14 of the color-changing
fiber 10 is a combination of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and
3. Specifically, the coating 14 includes the layer 20 disposed
around and along the core 12 and the layer 30 disposed around and
along the layer 20 where the layer 20 has four azimuthal segments
that include the material 22, the material 24, the material 26, and
the material 28. The layer 20 of FIG. 4 may be similar or function
similarly to that of the layer 20 of FIG. 2 and the layer 30 of
FIG. 4 may be similar or function similarly to that of the layer 30
of FIG. 3.
[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a color-changing
fiber. As shown in FIG. 5, the coating 14 of the color-changing
fiber 10 includes the layer 20 disposed around and along the core
12 and the layer 30 disposed around and along the layer 20. Both
the layer 20 and the layer 30 include a plurality of azimuthal
segments of different materials (e.g., a similar polymeric material
with different thermochromic pigments, etc.) including (i) the
material 22, the material 24, the material 26, and the material 28
variously positioned about the layer 20 and (ii) the material 32
and a material 34 variously positioned about the layer 30. Other
combinations of materials or number of azimuthal segments may be
used within the layer 20 and/or the layer 30 (e.g., a single
material, more materials, fewer azimuthal segments, more azimuthal
segments, etc.). As shown in FIG. 5, the layer 20 and the layer 30
only partially extend around the core 12 (e.g., 45, 90, 115, 145,
180, 215, 245, 270, 300, 315, 330, etc. degrees), leaving a gap.
The gap is filled with a thicker layer, shown as layer 50, that
extends the thickness of the layer 20 and the layer 30. In some
embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10 includes three or more
concentric layers such that the layer 50 may extend the thickness
of the three or more concentric layers.
[0052] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate additional exemplary embodiments of
color-changing fibers. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the
color-changing fiber 10 includes a plurality of cores 12 (e.g., a
multi-core, etc.). As shown in FIG. 6, the color-changing fiber 10
includes nine separate cores 12 disposed within the material 22 of
the layer 20. In other embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10
includes a different number of the cores 12 (e.g., two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, ten, etc. of the cores 12). As shown
in FIG. 7, the color-changing fiber 10 includes three separate
cores 12, where each of the cores 12 is disposed within a different
material, i.e., the material 22, the material 24, and the material
26, respectively, of the layer 20. The material 22, the material
24, and the material 26 are arranged to form the layer 20 of the
color-changing fiber 10 that has a multi-segmented pie structure.
In some embodiments, the polymer or polymer composite of the
material 22, the material 24, and/or the material 26 are the same,
but the thermochromic pigments thereof and/or the concentrations of
the thermochromic pigments differ. In other embodiments, the
color-changing fiber 10 includes a different number of cores 12
(e.g., two, four, five, etc.) and the layer 20 includes a
corresponding number of materials such that each of the cores 12 is
embedded within a respective material of the layer 20. Each of the
cores 12 may therefore be individually provided an electrical
current to affect the visual characteristics of the material
associated therewith. In some embodiments, the color-changing fiber
10 of FIGS. 6 and 7 includes additional layers (e.g., the layer 30,
the layer 40, etc.) disposed around the layer 20.
[0053] In some embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10 is used to
form fabric (e.g., in weaving or knitting processes, etc.) as a
monofilament and/or is incorporated into an existing product or
fabric (e.g., sewn into an existing fabric, embroidery, etc.) as a
monofilament. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the
color-changing fiber 10 is formed into or incorporated into a
multifilament fiber (e.g., yarn, thread, etc.), shown as
color-changing yarn 100. The color-changing yarn 100 may be formed
by twisting, braiding, or otherwise joining two or more fibers,
shown as fibers 110. In some embodiments, the fibers 110 of the
color-changing yarn 100 include one type of the color-changing
fibers 10 of FIGS. 1-7. In other embodiments, the fibers 110 of the
color-changing yarn 100 include a combination of two or more of the
types of the color-changing fibers 10 of FIGS. 1-7. In still other
embodiments, the fibers 110 of the color-changing yarn 100 include
at least one of the color-changing fibers 10 of FIGS. 1-7 and at
least one non-color-changing fiber. The non-color-changing fiber
may be a (i) natural fiber including plant-based fiber (e.g.,
cotton, linen, etc.) and/or an animal-based fiber (e.g., wool,
silk, etc.) and/or (ii) a synthetic fiber (e.g., rayon, acetate,
nylon, acrylic, polyester, etc.).
[0054] In some embodiments, the non-color-changing fiber is a
photovoltaic fiber. The photovoltaic fibers may be used to generate
electrical energy from light energy to (i) charge or power a power
source and/or (ii) directly provide an electrical current to the
color-changing fibers 10 within the color-changing yarn 100 to
facilitate the transition between the possible colors thereof. In
some embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10 and/or the
color-changing yarn 100 includes a glass core or another type of
transparent core. In some embodiments, the color-changing fiber 10
includes sensors, the non-color-changing fiber includes sensors,
and/or sensors are otherwise embedded within the color-changing
yarn 100 (e.g., sensors to measure temperature, force, pressure,
acceleration, moisture, etc.). By way of example, the sensors may
be or include piezoelectric sensors that sense a depressive force
or pressure (e.g., on the fabric that the color-changing yarn 100
is woven into, etc.). The piezoelectric sensors may send an
electrical signal to a controller and the controller may take an
appropriate action in response to the depression (e.g., provide
electrical current to the color-changing fibers 10 to activate the
thermochromic pigment to transition the color, etc.).
Manufacture of the Color-Changing Fiber
[0055] According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-15, a
machine, shown as fiber fabricator 200, is configured to
manufacture the color-changing fiber 10. As shown in FIG. 9, the
fiber fabricator 200 includes a pair of hoppers, shown as first
hopper 210 and second hopper 212, coupled to a pair of drivers,
shown as first screw extruder 220 and second screw extruder 222,
via conduits, shown as first feed tube 214 and second feed tube
216, respectively.
[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first hopper 210
is configured to receive a first raw material of the coating 14 and
the second hopper 212 is configured to receive a second raw
material of the coating 14. By way of example, the first raw
material may be a polymeric material such as thermoplastics,
thermoplastic elastomers, polycrystalline polymers, and/or any
other suitable material that softens sufficiently to traverse a
fiber spinning system and then solidify upon cooling. The second
raw material may be (i) a concentrate of the thermochromic pigment,
(ii) a concentrate of the thermochromic pigment with added fillers
or additives, and/or (iii) a concentrate of the thermochromic
pigment and/or additives in a polymer host. The concentrate of the
thermochromic pigment may come in the form of powder, pellets of
any shape, slurry, ink, and/or another liquid. In other
embodiments, the first hopper 210 and the second hopper 220 receive
the same material (e.g., a thermochromic pigment and polymer
mixture; see, e.g., FIGS. 10A-10E; etc.). In still other
embodiments, the fiber fabricator 200 includes a different number
of hoppers (e.g., three, four, eight, etc.) that each receive
different material and/or facilitate increasing the capacity of
material able to be loaded into the fiber fabricator 200.
[0057] According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the
first screw extruder 220 is configured to receive the first raw
material through the first feed tube 214 and the second screw
extruder 222 is configured to receive the second raw material from
the second hopper 212 through the second feed tube 216. In other
embodiments, the fiber fabricator 200 does not include the second
hopper 212, the second feed tube 216, or the second screw extruder
222, but rather the fiber fabricator 200 is configured to receive a
premixed mixture or compound of the first raw material and the
second raw material. Therefore, (i) the concentrate of the pigment
may be pre-mixed uniformly with virgin polymer pellets (e.g., of
thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, polycrystalline polymers,
etc.) and fed into the first screw extruder 220, (ii) the
concentrate of the pigment may be pre-compounded with the virgin
polymer pellets and fed into the first screw extruder 220, and/or
(iii) the virgin polymer and the concentrate of the pigment may be
kept separate and fed into the first screw extruder 220 and the
second screw extruder 222 separately to be combined by a spinneret
in a prescribed ratio to produce the desired color change for the
color-changing fiber 10.
[0058] As shown in FIGS. 10A-10E, example raw materials 202 include
(a) a concentrate of the thermochromic pigment in the form of a
powder, (b) a concentrate of the thermochromic pigment in the form
of a powder compounded with a host virgin polymer, (c) a
concentrate of the thermochromic pigment in the form of pellets
dispersed in a host resin with additives and fillers, (d) the
pellets from (c) mixed with virgin polymer pellets, and (e) the
pellets from (c) alongside virgin polymer pellets that may be
separately introduced into the fiber fabricator 200.
[0059] As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the fiber fabricator 200 includes a
pump, shown as melt pump 230, coupled to the first screw extruder
220 and the second screw extruder 222. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the first screw extruder 220 and the second screw
extruder 222 include heating elements that soften or melt the first
raw material and/or the second raw material, respectively, which
the first screw extruder 220 and the second screw extruder 222
drive into the melt pump 230. According to an exemplary embodiment,
the processing temperature of the first raw material and the second
raw material (e.g., the raw materials 202, etc.) within the first
screw extruder 220 and the second screw extruder 222 is below a
degradation temperature of the thermochromic pigment to avoid the
destruction of the thermochromic pigment.
[0060] As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the fiber fabricator 200 includes a
fiber coater, shown as spinneret 240, coupled to the melt pump 230.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the melt pump 230 is
configured to regulate the volume of the softened and/or melted
material that is metered into the spinneret 240. As shown in FIG.
11, the spinneret includes a body, shown as housing 242, and a
nozzle, shown as hollow needle 244, extending from the housing 242.
As shown in FIG. 9, the fiber fabricator 200 includes a wire payoff
attachment, shown as wire spool 204, having a length of
prefabricated wire, shown as wire 206, wound therearound.
[0061] As shown in FIG. 11, the fiber fabricator 200 includes a
first pulley, shown as pulley 246, positioned to receive the wire
206 from the wire spool 204 and guide the wire 206 to the hollow
needle 244 and into the housing 242 of the spinneret 240. The
spinneret 240 is configured to coat the wire 206 with the material
provided by the melt pump 230, which collapses onto the wire 206 to
form the color-changing fiber 10 where the wire 206 functions as
the core 12 and the material functions as the coating 14. The
color-changing fiber 10 is drawn out of or extruded from the
housing 242 at a desired diameter by manipulating the amount of
material provided by the melt pump 230 to the spinneret 240 and/or
the speed of the wire 206 passing through the spinneret 240.
[0062] The newly formed color-changing fiber 10 may then be
quenched to solidify and prevent deformation of the coating 14
around the wire 206. As shown in FIGS. 9, 11, and 12, the fiber
fabricator 200 includes a quenching assembly, shown as water quench
250. As shown in FIG. 12, the water quench includes a fluid
container, shown as tub 252, that holds a volume of fluid such as
water (or other suitable fluid). The water quench 250 further
includes a second pulley, shown as pulley 254, positioned at the
bottom of the tub 252, submerged in the fluid, and proximate a
first end of the tub 252, and a third pulley, shown as pulley 256,
positioned along a top edge of the tub 252 at an opposing, second
end of the tub 252. The pulley 254 is positioned to receive the
color-changing fiber 10 from the spinneret 240 and guide the
color-changing fiber 10 through the fluid in the tub 252 to the
pulley 256. In other embodiments, the coating 14 of the
color-changing fiber 10 is quenched via air blade quenching or
quenching in the ambient air environment.
[0063] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, the fiber fabricator 200
includes a winding assembly, shown as winder 260. The winder 260
includes a motor, shown as drive motor 262, a fourth pulley, shown
as godet roll 264, coupled to and driven by the drive motor 262, a
traverse assembly, shown as traverse 266, and a take-up roll, shown
as fiber spool 280. The traverse 266 includes a guide, shown as
track 268, a slide, shown as slide 270, slidably coupled to the
track 268, and a fifth pulley, shown as pulley 272, coupled to the
slide 270. The godet roll 264 receives the color-changing fiber 10
from the pulley 256 of the water quench 250 and provides the
color-changing fiber 10 to the pulley 272 of the traverse 266. The
pulley 272 then guides the color-changing fiber 10 to the fiber
spool 280. According to an exemplary embodiment, the slide 270 is
configured to translate back and forth along the track 268 as the
color-changing fiber 10 accumulates on the fiber spool 280 to
evenly distribute the color-changing fiber 10 onto the fiber spool
280. The fiber spool 280 may be driven by a corresponding motor
(e.g., at a speed based on the speed of the godet roll 264,
etc.).
[0064] As shown in FIG. 9, the fiber fabricator 200 includes a
control system, shown as controller 290. The controller 290 may be
implemented as a general-purpose processor, an application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate
arrays (FPGAs), a digital-signal-processor (DSP), circuits
containing one or more processing components, circuitry for
supporting a microprocessor, a group of processing components, or
other suitable electronic processing components. According to an
exemplary embodiment, the controller 290 includes a processing
circuit having a processor and a memory. The processing circuit may
include an ASIC, one or more FPGAs, a DSP, circuits containing one
or more processing components, circuitry for supporting a
microprocessor, a group of processing components, or other suitable
electronic processing components. In some embodiments, the
processor is configured to execute computer code stored in the
memory to facilitate the activities described herein. The memory
may be any volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage
medium capable of storing data or computer code relating to the
activities described herein. According to an exemplary embodiment,
the memory includes computer code modules (e.g., executable code,
object code, source code, script code, machine code, etc.)
configured for execution by the processor.
[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller 290 is
configured to control operation of the first screw extruder 220,
the second screw extruder 222, the melt pump 230, the spinneret
240, the drive motor 262, and/or the traverse 266. By way of
example, the controller 290 may control the speed of the wire 206
through the fiber fabricator 200 (e.g., by controlling the speed of
the drive motor 262, etc.), the thickness of the coating 14
disposed onto the wire 206 (e.g., by controlling the flow of the
melted coating provided by the melt pump 230, the speed of the
drive motor 262, etc.), the temperature of the heating elements in
the first screw extruder 220 and the second screw extruder 222,
and/or the speed at which the first screw extruder 220 and the
second screw extruder 222 are driven.
[0066] It should be understood that the description of the fiber
fabricator 200 in relation to FIGS. 9-15 is just one possible
implementation of a machine that may be used to manufacture the
color-changing fibers 10 and should not be considered as limiting.
In other implementations, the fiber fabricator 200 may include
different or variations of components, additional components, fewer
components, etc. By way of example, the fiber fabricator 200 may
include more hoppers (e.g., three, four, five, etc. hoppers). By
way of another example, the fiber coater, the quench assembly,
and/or the winder may be different than or a variation of the
spinneret 240, the water quench 250, and/or the winder 260
disclosed herein.
[0067] Increased production is possible by adjusting the fiber
fabricator 200 to include multiple spinnerets 240 with an equal
number of winders 260. More complex monofilament structures (e.g.,
the structures described in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, etc.) may be
produced through the use of distribution plates. The distribution
plates may be placed directly below and/or within the spinneret
240, and through carefully designed internal channels, combine raw
materials from different screw extruders to produce the desired
structure. By way of example, the distribution plates may guide
softened polymer in such a way as to create a desired
cross-sectional pattern onto the core 12. These structures may
enable the production of the color-changing fiber 10 having
multiple different thermochromic pigments segregated into each a
plurality of segments within the cross-sectional structure.
Color-changing fibers 10 with multi-layer coatings (e.g., the
coating 14 of FIGS. 3-5, etc.) may be produced by passing the
color-changing fiber 10 through the fiber fabricator 200 or a
different fiber fabricator 200 one or more additional times to add
additional layers to the coating 14. The melt-spinning process may
be employed to produce fibers with highly complex, multi-component
cross sections, such as a multi-segmented pie that alternates
between two or more colors as shown in FIG. 7, which can enable
optical effects that cannot be achieved by simply mixing the
thermochromic pigments in polymer or braiding different threads
into a yarn.
[0068] In some embodiments, a cross-section pattern of the coating
14 is generated using a process similar to a pixel-generating
printer. In such embodiments, cross-sections that are an image may
be generated. Such a process may be suitable for military and/or
other applications.
[0069] According to another example embodiment, a second
fabrication procedure involves the continuous injection of a
conductive core material, rather than using a prefabricated wire
such as the wire 206. The second fabrication procedure includes the
use of raw materials. The raw materials for the coating 14 include
those described above, in addition to a raw material or raw
materials to form the core 12 (i.e., no pre-existing wire is used).
The raw materials to form the core 12 may include (i)
low-melting-temperature metals such as tin, indium, etc., (ii)
low-melting-temperature metal alloys, (iii) a semiconductor
material, (iv) a conductive polymer, or (v) combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the melt temperature of the raw materials for
the core 12 is less than the melt temperature of the raw materials
for the coating 14.
[0070] The second fabrication procedure may be performed as
follows: (i) the raw materials for the coating 14 are fed into a
hopper (e.g., the first hopper 210, etc.), (ii) the raw materials
for the core 12 are loaded into a delivery system (e.g., similar to
the second hopper 212 and the second screw extruder 222, etc.),
(iii) the raw materials for the core 12 and the coating 14 are
melted and delivered to a specialized spinneret (e.g., a
bicomponent melt extrusion pack, etc.) where the core 12 and the
coating 14 are co-extruded into a core/cladding monofilament
architecture, and (iv) the color-changing fiber 10 is quenched and
spooled.
[0071] According to an exemplary embodiment, the fiber fabrication
processes disclosed herein provide flexibility with respect to the
materials selection, structure, size, and even shape of each
individual fiber. Exercising control over these degrees of freedom
facilitates optimizing the heat transfer and thermal distribution
over a fabric formed from the individual fibers. For example,
materials with different thermal conductivities may heat up and
cool down at different rates. The freedom to choose materials that
either hold heat (i.e., allowing for less electrical energy to
maintain the color change) or dissipate heat (i.e., allowing for
quicker color change/return) facilitates tailoring the material to
the application. Further, control over the size of the
color-changing fiber 10 and the ratio of the diameter of the core
12 to the diameter of the coating 14 facilitates optimizing the
largest material volume change per unit electrical energy.
Furthermore, control over the diameter of the core 12 (which is the
typically a heavier metal component) facilitates controlling the
weight (i.e., how "heavy") of the resultant fabric. Such control
therefore facilitates tailoring the fibers based on different
application needs.
[0072] The fabrication of the color-changing yarn 100 may be
performed in many ways. In one embodiments, the color-changing
fiber 10 on the fiber spool 280 is combined (e.g., twisted,
braided, etc.) with (i) one or more other color-changing fibers 10
from other fiber spools 280 and/or (ii) one or more
non-color-changing fibers from other spools. In another embodiment,
multiple fiber fabricators 200 are set up in parallel (e.g., each
including the hoppers, the screw extruders, the melt pumps, the
spinnerets, etc.). The resultant color-changing fiber 10 from each
fiber fabricator 200 may be fed into a combining machine (e.g., a
braiding machine, etc.) that forms the color-changing yarn 100 from
the plurality of color-changing fibers 10. The color-changing yarn
100 may then be spooled. In still another embodiment, as shown in
FIG. 15, the spinneret 240 (e.g., a multi-filament spinneret, etc.)
is configured to receive a plurality of the wires 206 and
facilitate coating each of the plurality of wires 206 with the
coating 14 such that a plurality of color-changing fibers 10 exit
the spinneret 240 simultaneously. The plurality of color-changing
fibers 10 may be individually spooled using respective winders 260
or the plurality of color-changing fibers 10 may be fed into a
combining machine (e.g., a braiding machine, etc.) that forms the
color-changing yarn 100 from the plurality of color-changing fibers
10.
Color-Changing Fabric
Prototype Fabrics and Testing
[0073] Applicant has produced various color-changing fabric
prototypes through its research and development. The first
generation fabric prototype included fibers from cyclic olefin
copolymer that cold-drew under tension during weaving, which
resulted in buckling of the fabric.
[0074] A second generation fabric prototype included fibers with a
thermoplastic elastomer coating comprising a species of Hytrel,
which did not undergo cold-drawing under tension during the weaving
process. The fibers were fabricated using a melt-spinning machine
(e.g., the fiber fabricator 200, etc.) to extrude the polymer
infused with the thermochromic pigment around a 37 AWG copper wire.
The resultant monofilament (e.g., the color-changing fiber 10,
etc.) had an outer diameter of approximately 450 micrometers. As
shown in FIGS. 16-19, a fabric, shown as color-changing fabric 300,
was woven from the monofilament with a cotton-nylon blend in the
warp direction. As shown in FIG. 16, an active area of the
color-changing fabric 300 had a dark color (e.g., a blue color,
etc.), which comprised the color-changing fibers. The
color-changing fabric 300 had dimensions of 53 inches by 22 inches,
and the dark strip containing the color-changing fibers was
approximately 4 inches wide. To electrically connect the cores of
the fibers, Applicant selectively dissolved approximately one inch
of the coating from the end of the fibers, leaving the ends of the
cores exposed. The end of the cores were then grouped into clusters
or separate segments and soldered together (e.g., groups of 12-13
cores, etc.).
[0075] As shown in FIGS. 17-19, the 4 inch wide portion of the
color-changing fabric 300 comprising the color-changing fibers was
electrically separated into five segments, shown as first segment,
second segment, third segment, fourth segment, and fifth segment.
As shown in FIG. 19, each of the five segments was electrically
coupled to a respective switch device, shown as first relay 330,
second relay 332, third relay 334, fourth relay 336, and fifth
relay 338. The first relay 330, the second relay 332, the third
relay 334, the fourth relay 336, and the fifth relay 338 were
configured to facilitate selectively electrically coupling the
first segment, the second segment, the third segment, the fourth
segment, and the fifth segment, respectively, to a control system
(in this prototype an Arduino controller), shown as controller 310,
and a power source, shown as power supply 320. The controller 310
was configured to selectively engage and disengage the first relay
330, the second relay 332, the third relay 334, the fourth relay
336, and the fifth relay 338 to selectively provide electrical
current from the power supply 320 to the first segment, the second
segment, the third segment, the fourth segment, and the fifth
segment, respectively.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 17, the controller 310 selectively engaged
the second relay 332 and the fourth relay 336 such that the second
segment and the fourth segment transitioned from a darker color
(blue) to a lighter color (white/colorless), while the first relay
330, the third relay 334, and the fifth relay 338 were left
disengaged such that the first segment, the third segment, and the
fifth segment remained the darker color. As shown in FIG. 18, the
controller 310 then (i) selectively engaged the first relay 330,
the third relay 334, and the fifth relay 338 such that the first
segment, the third segment, and the fifth segment transitioned from
the darker color to the lighter color and (ii) selectively
disengaged the second relay 332 and the fourth relay 336 such that
the second segment and the fourth segment transitioned back to the
darker color from the lighter color.
[0077] A third generation fabric prototype was fabricated from a
new spool of color-changing fiber with an even larger active area.
The concentration of the thermochromic pigment was increased
approximately 50% relative to the second prototype from 4% by mass
thermochromic pigment (96% by mass virgin Hytrel) to 6% by mass
thermochromic pigment (94% by mass virgin Hytrel) and the polymeric
material was switched to a different species of Hytrel (from Hytrel
3038 to Hytrel 5526). The fibers of the second prototype had a
tacky surface, likely due to the softness of the species of Hytrel
chosen. The tackiness made the weaving process difficult and slow.
The new species of Hytrel did not result in a tacky surface after
coating the wire core, and the weaving speed was able to be
performed at up to 150 picks per minute. In addition, a different
thermochromic pigment concentrate was blended with the Hytrel
polymer, which caused the color-changing fibers to transition from
green to yellow, rather than from blue to colorless.
[0078] A red hue could be seen in the second prototype when the
segments were activated due to the copper wire in the core of the
fibers. The enamel coating on the copper had a red tint, and when
the blue pigment transitioned to colorless, the fibers became
semi-transparent, revealing the wire inside. With the third
prototype, the green-to-yellow pigment never transitioned colorless
such that the copper wire core was not visible. The width of the
active area in the third fabric prototype was 16 inches and the
length of the active area was 66 inches. In the third prototype,
the active color-changing area was increased by a factor of
approximately 6.7 relative to the second prototype. In the third
prototype, Applicant grouped the cores into sixteen independently
controllable segments along the width of the fabric. With the
various prototypes and testing, Applicant has identified various
ways to manufacture the color-changing fibers 10 and the
color-changing yarns 100, and then arrange (e.g., weave, knit,
etc.) or incorporate (e.g., embroider, stitch, etc.) the
color-changing fibers 10 and the color-changing yarns 100 into a
fabric and/or end product that has visual characteristics that may
be selectively, adaptively, and/or dynamically controlled (e.g.,
colors, patterns, etc.).
Fabric Manufacturing Process
[0079] Referring to FIG. 20, a process of manufacturing an
electrically controllable, color-changing end product is visually
depicted, according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG.
20, the fiber fabricator 200 receives raw materials (e.g., the raw
materials 202 for the coating 14, the wire 206 for the core 12, the
raw materials for the core 12, etc.) and produces the
color-changing fiber 10 therefrom. The color-changing fiber 10 may
then be: (i) combined with other fibers (e.g., the same
color-changing fiber 10, a different color-changing fiber 10, a
non-color-changing fiber, etc.) to make the color-changing yarn
100, which may then be woven with non-color-changing fibers or
yarns (e.g., a cotton-nylon blend, etc.) to form the color-changing
fabric 300 (e.g., the non-color-changing fibers or yarns are woven
in a first direction of the fabric and the color-changing yarns 100
are woven in a second direction, etc.), (ii) woven directly with
non-color-changing fibers or yarns to form the color-changing
fabric 300 (e.g., the non-color-changing fibers or yarns are woven
in a first direction of the fabric and the color-changing fiber 10
are woven in a second direction, etc.), (iii) combined with other
fibers to make the color-changing yarn 100, which may then be
knitted to form the color-changing fabric 300 (or the
color-changing product 400 directly), or (iv) kitted to form the
color-changing fabric 300 (or the color-changing product 400
directly). The color-changing fibers 10 of the color-changing
fabric 300 may be electrically connected in a desired manner and
then the color-changing fabric 300 may be manipulated (e.g., cut,
shaped, joined to other fabrics, etc.) to form an end product,
shown as color-changing product 400 (e.g., shown here as a
window-blind, etc.), that is capable of transitioning a visual
characteristic thereof from a first state, shown as state 410, to a
second state, shown as state 420.
[0080] Various weaving and/or knitting techniques may be used to
arrange the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing
yarns 100 into the color-changing fabric 300 and/or the
color-changing product 400. By way of example, the weaving and/or
knitting techniques may include a twill/herringbone weave, a satin
weave, a loom weave, a basket weave, a plain weave, a Jacquard
weave, an Oxford weave, a rib weave, courses and wales knitting,
weft and warp knitting, and/or other suitable weaving and/or
knitting techniques.
Electrical Connections
[0081] Connecting each of the color-changing fibers 10 of a
respective color-changing fabric 300 or a respective color-changing
product 400 to a power source (e.g., the power supply 320, the
power supply 520, etc.) and/or control circuitry (e.g., the
controller 310, the controller 510, etc.) can range from being a
relatively simple process to a relatively complicated process
depending on the desired performance or color-changing capabilities
of the respective color-changing fabric 300 and/or the respective
color-changing product 400.
[0082] By way of example, if a uniform color change for the entire
area of the color-changing fabric 300 or the color-changing product
400 that comprises the color-changing fiber 10 is desired, the
electrical connections to the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 may be simplified to a two position
connector. More specifically, for a single, uniform color changing
application, Applicant has devised a procedure in which: (i) the
coating 14 is stripped from the cores 12 on each end of the
color-changing fabric 300 (e.g., by selective dissolution, etc.),
(ii) the exposed cores 12 along each side of the color-changing
fabric 300 are coupled together (e.g., by soldering, by ultrasonic
welding, etc.) en masse, and (iii) each of the connected ends of
the color-changing fabric 300 is electrically connected to a
respective electrical node, which is then coupled to the power
source, forming a closed loop.
[0083] Whereas a more complex pattern or control scheme for color
changing may necessitate connecting and addressing the
color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100
individually or grouping them together. As shown in FIG. 21A, edges
302 of the color-changing fabric 300 may have loose ends of
color-changing fibers 10 and/or color-changing yarns 100 extending
therefrom. As shown in FIG. 21B, the coating 14 may be selectively
removed from the ends of the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 to expose the cores 12 thereof. The
removal of the coating 14 from the loose ends of the color-changing
fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100 may be performed
using a chemical removal process (e.g., dissolving the coating 14
in a solution, etc.), a mechanical removal process (e.g.,
mechanically stripping the coating 14 therefrom, etc.), and/or
still another suitable removal process. As shown in FIGS. 21C and
21D, ends of selected cores 12 may be grouped and connected
together. By way of example, the grouped ends may be soldered
together. By way of another example, the ends may be joined using
an ultrasonic welding process. For example, an ultrasonic welding
system may connect a first plurality of cores 12 along a
preselected distance (e.g., 0.1 inches, 0.25 inches, 0.5 inches, 1
inch, 1.5 inches, 2 inches, 4 inches, 6 inches, 1 foot, etc.) of
the edge 302, move or index the color-changing fabric 300 the
preselected distance (e.g., via a conveyor, etc.), connect a second
plurality of cores 12 along the preselected distance of the edge
302, and so on. As shown in FIG. 21D, the grouped ends, shown as
groupings 304, may then each be connected to the power source
and/or the control system via a connector, shown as electrical
connector 340.
[0084] For larger diameter color-changing fibers 10 and/or
color-changing yarns 100 (e.g., which may be used in stationary
fixtures, for cores 12 that are between 22 AWG (i.e., 0.644
millimeters) and 36 AWG (i.e., 0.127 millimeters), an insulation
displacement connector (IDC) fixture (e.g., a ribbon cable
connector, etc.), shown as IDC 350 in FIG. 22, may be used to
connect a plurality of the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 without the need to strip the coating 14
from the ends of the cores 12. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the IDC 350 facilitates coupling the color-changing
fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100 to an external
circuit (e.g., a power source, a controller, etc.). Care should be
taken to connect the individual color-changing fibers 10 and/or
color-changing yarns 100 to the IDC 350 in the proper order so that
each of the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing
yarns 100 has a known connector position at both the top and bottom
of the color-changing fabric 300. If the proper order is
maintained, each of the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 in the color-changing fabric 300 or other
application (e.g., the color-changing product 400, etc.) may be
individually activated.
[0085] Another strategy for connecting fibers to a plug
individually is to remove the insulation of the fiber ends
simultaneously using a chemical process (e.g., using chloroform,
etc.), and then to tin the ends of the wires simultaneously using a
solder pot. Next, the individually prepared fiber ends may be
soldered to a connector or directly to a printed circuit board.
With this method, care must be taken to ensure that the fibers are
connected in a sequential order. It may be possible to design a
fixture to secure individual fibers in the correct order before
soldering them to a connector or a printed circuit board.
[0086] Another consideration is the nature of electrical
connectivity across the color-changing fabric 300: whether to
connect the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing
yarns 100 together in a series pattern, a parallel pattern, or a
combination of the two. The availability of metals and wires of
varying electrical conductivity can be selected to adjust the
resistance of any of these three configurations.
Applications
[0087] According to an exemplary embodiment, the color-changing
fibers 10, the color-changing yarns 100, and/or the color-changing
fabrics 300 are capable of being incorporated into existing
products (e.g., using embroidery, as a patch, etc.) and/or arranged
to form new products (e.g., using weaving, knitting, etc.) with
color-changing capabilities, i.e., the color-changing products 400.
Various examples of the color-changing products 400 are shown in
FIGS. 23-32. It should be understood that the color-changing
products 400 shown in FIGS. 23-32 are examples of possible
implementations of the color-changing fibers 10, the color-changing
yarns 100, and/or the color-changing fabrics 300 and should not be
considered as an exclusive or exhaustive representation of such
implementations. Specifically, the uses of the color-changing
fibers 10, the color-changing yarns 100, and/or the color-changing
fabrics 300 are expansive and may be used in products such as
apparel (e.g., headbands, wristbands, ties, bowties, shirts,
jerseys, gloves, scarves, jackets, pants, shorts, dresses, skirts,
blouses, footwear/shoes, belts, hats, etc.), accessories (e.g.,
purses, backpacks, luggage, wallets, jewelry, hair accessories,
etc.), fixed installations, home goods, and decor (e.g., table
cloths, blankets, bed sheets, pillow cases, curtains, window
blinds, rugs, wall paper, wall art/paintings, furniture and
furniture accessories, automotive interiors, etc.), outdoor
applications and equipment (e.g., tents, awnings, umbrellas,
canopies, signage, etc.), camouflage, and/or still other suitable
applications.
[0088] As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the color-changing product 400
is configured as a first product, shown as dress 430. As shown in
FIG. 23, the dress 430 is in a first state (e.g., a first color,
etc.), shown as first color state 432. As shown in FIG. 24, the
dress 430 is transitioned into a second state (e.g., a second
color, etc.), shown as second color state 434. According to an
exemplary embodiment, the dress 430 is arranged entirely from the
color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100 such
that the entire dress 430 is capable of transitioning between the
first color state 432 and the second color state 434. In other
embodiments, only a portion of the dress 430 is configured to
transition between the first color state 432 and the second color
state 434 (e.g., at least a portion of the dress 430 includes
non-color-changing fibers or yarns, etc.).
[0089] As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the color-changing product 400
is configured as a second product, shown as shirt 440. As shown in
FIG. 25, the shirt 440 is in a first state, shown as first pattern
state 442, where the shirt 440 lacks a pattern or is all the same
color (e.g., a solid color, etc.). As shown in FIG. 26, the shirt
440 is transitioned into a second state, shown as second pattern
state 444, where various portions or segments of the shirt 440
transition to a second color different than the remaining portions
of the shirt 440. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 26, the
second pattern state 444 includes a plurality of vertical stripes
446 generated across the shirt 440. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the portions of the shirt 440 that transition to
selectively generate the vertical stripes 446 include the
color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100. In
other embodiments, the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 within the shirt 440 are arranged such
that the second pattern state 444 additionally or alternatively
provides a horizontal stripe pattern, a checkered pattern, a
diagonal stripe pattern, a polka dot pattern, and/or another
suitable pattern. In some embodiments, the shirt 440 is capable of
selectively transitioning between a plurality of different
patterns.
[0090] As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the color-changing product 400
is configured as a third product, shown as jersey 450. The jersey
450 includes a first patch, shown as name patch 452, and a second
patch, shown as number patch 454, coupled (e.g., stitched,
adhesively coupled, sewn, etc.) thereto. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the name patch 452 and the number patch 454 include the
color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100
integrated therein or embroidered thereto. According to an
exemplary embodiment, the name patch 452 and the number patch 454
are couplable to the fabric or other material of a preexisting
jersey (or other preexisting product) such that name patch 452 and
the number patch 454 may therefore provide a "retrofit" solution to
produce the color-changing products 400. In some embodiments, the
jersey 450 does not include one of the name patch 452 or the number
patch 454. In other embodiments, the name patch 452 and/or the
number patch 454 are replaced with another type of patch (e.g., a
logo patch, a sponsor patch, a team name patch, etc.). As shown in
FIG. 27, the name patch 452 and the number patch 454 of the jersey
450 are in a first state, shown as first player state 456, where
the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100
thereof are selectively activated to display a first name and a
first number associated with a first player in a different color
than the remainder of the name patch 452 and the number patch 454.
As shown in FIG. 28, the name patch 452 and the number patch 454 of
the jersey 450 are transitioned into a second state, shown as
second player state 458, where the color-changing fibers 10 and/or
the color-changing yarns 100 thereof are selectively activated to
display a second name and a second number associated with a second
player in a different color than the remainder of the name patch
452 and the number patch 454. It should be understood that name and
number are used as an example and should not be interpreted as
being limiting. Patches including the color-changing fibers 10
and/or the color-changing yarns 100 may be configured (e.g.,
designed, arranged, etc.) to facilitate providing virtually any
type of pattern, design, wording, numbers, etc. on the patch. In an
alternative embodiment, the functionality of the name patch 452
and/or the number patch 454 is directly integrated into the jersey
450 by embroidering the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 directly into the jersey 450.
[0091] In some embodiments, a patch useable with the color-changing
products 400 includes the photovoltaic fibers disclosed herein. The
patch may exclusively include photovoltaic fibers, be incorporated
into yarns that include the color-changing fibers 10, and/or be
weaved or embroidered into a patch that also includes the
color-changing fibers 10. Such photovoltaic fibers may be used to
generate electrical energy from light energy to be stored in a
power source and/or provided to the color-changing fiber 10.
[0092] As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the color-changing product 400
is configured as a fourth product, shown as shirt 460. The shirt
460 includes an embroidered section, shown as embroidered portion
462. According to an exemplary embodiment, the embroidered portion
462 is formed by directly incorporating the color-changing fibers
10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100 into the fabric or other
material of a preexisting shirt (e.g., a newly manufactured shirt,
a used shirt, etc.) (or other preexisting product). The
color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns 100 may
therefore facilitate providing a "retrofit" solution to produce the
color-changing products 400. As shown in FIG. 29, the embroidered
portion 462 is in a first state, shown as first color state 464,
where the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing yarns
100 thereof are selectively activated or deactivated to be a first
color, a first set of colors, or have other first visual
characteristics (e.g., a pattern, etc.). As shown in FIG. 30, the
embroidered portion 462 is in a second state, shown as second color
state 466, where the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 thereof are selectively activated or
deactivated to be a second color, a second set of colors, or have
other second visual characteristics different than the first color
state 464. The embroidered portion 462 may include patterns, logos,
sports team names, sponsor names, player names, player numbers,
etc.
[0093] As shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, the color-changing product 400
is configured as a fifth product, shown as shoe 470. The shoe 470
includes an embroidered portion, shown as embroidered portion 472.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the embroidered portion 472
is formed by directly incorporating the color-changing fibers 10
and/or the color-changing yarns 100 into the fabric or other
material of a preexisting shoe (e.g., a newly manufactured shoe, a
used shoe, etc.) (or other preexisting product). As shown in FIG.
31, the embroidered portion 472 is in a first state, shown as first
color state 474, where the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 thereof are selectively activated or
deactivated to be a first color, a first set of colors, or have
other first visual characteristics. As shown in FIG. 32, the
embroidered portion 472 is in a second state, shown as second color
state 476, where the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the
color-changing yarns 100 thereof are selectively activated or
deactivated to be a second color, a second set of colors, or have
other second visual characteristics (e.g., a pattern, etc.)
different than the first color state 474.
[0094] It should be understood that the concepts presented in the
first product, the second product, the third product, the fourth
product, and the fifth product above are not required to be
independent of each other, but rather the concepts may be combined
in a single product. By way of example, a single color-changing
product 400 may include a combination of (i) being formed (e.g.,
woven, knit, etc.) from the color-changing fibers 10, the
color-changing yarns 100, and/or the color-changing fabrics 300,
(ii) include one or more patches, and/or (iii) include one or more
embroidered portions, which may all be independently controlled and
activated.
Product Control System
[0095] Any of a variety of systems and methods may be used to
control the color-changing fibers 10, the color-changing yarns 100,
the color-changing fabrics 300, and/or the color-changing products
400 disclosed herein. According to the exemplary embodiment shown
in FIG. 33, a control system, shown as control system 500, is
coupled (e.g., electrically coupled, communicatively coupled,
mechanical coupled, etc.) to the color-changing product 400 and
includes a control device (e.g., similar to controller 310, etc.),
shown as controller 510, a power source (e.g., similar to power
supply 320, etc.), shown as power supply 520, and a user input,
shown as input device 530. The controller 510 may be implemented as
a general-purpose processor, an application specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs),
a digital-signal-processor (DSP), circuits containing one or more
processing components, circuitry for supporting a microprocessor, a
group of processing components, or other suitable electronic
processing components. According to the exemplary embodiment shown
in FIG. 33, the controller 510 includes a processing circuit having
a processor 512 and a memory 514. The processing circuit may
include an ASIC, one or more FPGAs, a DSP, circuits containing one
or more processing components, circuitry for supporting a
microprocessor, a group of processing components, or other suitable
electronic processing components. In some embodiments, the
processor 512 is configured to execute computer code stored in the
memory 514 to facilitate the activities described herein. The
memory 514 may be any volatile or non-volatile computer-readable
storage medium capable of storing data or computer code relating to
the activities described herein. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the memory 514 includes computer code modules (e.g.,
executable code, object code, source code, script code, machine
code, etc.) configured for execution by the processor 512.
[0096] According to an exemplary embodiment, the power supply 520
is configured to facilitate selectively providing an electrical
current to the color-changing fibers 10 and/or the color-changing
yarns 100 of the color-changing product 400 (e.g., based on
commands provided by the controller 510, etc.) to activate the
thermochromic pigments in the coatings 14. The power supply 520 may
be a rechargeable battery pack, a replaceable battery pack, and/or
another suitable power supply. The power supply 520 may be
chargeable using a direct connection to an external power source
(e.g., a mains power line, etc.), wirelessly using wireless
charging technology, and/or require that batteries therein be
replaced on occasion. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 33, the
color-changing product 400 includes a photovoltaic source, shown as
PV source 490. The PV source 490 may be or include photovoltaic
fibers incorporated into the color-changing yarns 100, an
independent photovoltaic patch, etc. The PV source 490 may charge
the power supply 520, supplement the power supply 520 in providing
current to the color-changing fibers 10, and/or, in some
embodiments, obviate the need for the power supply 520
altogether.
[0097] According to an exemplary embodiment, the input device 530
is configured to facilitate a user or operator of the
color-changing product 400 with selectively controlling the visual
appearance (e.g., color, pattern, etc.) of the color-changing
product 400 (e.g., may be used to remotely control the color and/or
pattern of a fabric or of an individual fiber, etc.). The input
device 530 may be configured to communicate with the controller 510
via any suitable wireless communication protocol (e.g., Bluetooth,
NFC, Zigbee, radio, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) and/or wired
communication protocol. The input device 530 may be a cellular
phone, a "smart" phone, a remote control, a computing device such
as a laptop computer, a switch device, a button device, a "smart
home" controller device or hub (e.g., Amazon Alexa, Google Home,
Z-wave controller, etc.), etc. In one specific example, a smart
phone may include an application ("app") that allows a user to
select from one or more predefined colors and/or predefined
patterns for a fiber or fabric. In another example, the app on the
smart phone may allow the user to design a custom pattern. The
smart phone may then communicate with the controller 510
responsible for controlling the fiber/fabric, such as by wirelessly
transmitting a signal to a receiver associated with the controller
510, after which the electrical current may be provided to one or
more fibers to effect the color change as discussed in more detail
herein.
[0098] As an example, an article of clothing or another product
incorporating color-changing fibers may normally exhibit a first
color (e.g., purple, green, etc.) in a first state, and a user may
select a second, different color (e.g., red, yellow, etc.) using
the input device 530, which in turn sends a signal to the
controller 510 to turn the fabric from the first color to the
second color such that the fabric is in a second state that differs
from the first state (see, e.g., FIGS. 23 and 24). As another
example, the user may select a pattern such as "stripe" in the
smart phone app (e.g., by selecting a "stripe" button, etc.), and
various portions of the fabric may change from the first color to a
striped pattern (e.g., blue stripes in the purple fabric, by
selectively changing the temperature of certain fibers in the
fabric to effect the striped pattern, etc.) (see, e.g., FIGS. 25
and 26). The input device 530 may therefore allow the user to
determine when a color change occurs and/or what pattern appears on
the color-changing product 400.
[0099] As shown in FIG. 33, in some embodiments, the color-changing
product 400 includes one or more sensors (e.g., sensors to measure
temperature, force, pressure, acceleration, moisture, etc.), shown
as sensors 492. In one embodiment, the sensors 492 include a
piezoelectric sensor that is configured to sense a depressive force
or pressure on the fabric that the color-changing fibers 10 and/or
the color-changing yarns 100 are included with. The piezoelectric
sensor may be incorporated directly into the fabric of the
color-changing product 400 and/or in a patch coupled to the fabric
of the color-changing product 400. The piezoelectric sensors may
send an electrical signal to controller 510 in response to
detecting a depressive force and the controller 510 may take an
appropriate action in response to the signal (e.g., command the
power supply 520 to provide electrical current to the
color-changing fibers 10 to activate the thermochromic pigment to
transition the color, pattern, etc.).
[0100] According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 34, a
graphical user interface, shown as GUI 600, is provided to a user
via the input device 530 (e.g., on a display thereof, etc.) through
an app stored thereon or a program accessed thereby. As shown in
FIG. 34, the GUI 600 has a logo button 610, a product image section
620, a first pattern button 630, a second pattern button 640, a
third pattern button 650, a battery meter button 660, a temperature
button 670, a network information button 680, and a social media
button 690. In other embodiments, the GUI 600 provides more, fewer,
or different buttons or sections. The logo button 610 may
facilitate selectively manipulating the visual appearance (e.g.,
color, pattern, etc.) of a logo or embroidered portion (e.g., the
embroidered portion 462, the embroidered portion 472, etc.) of the
color-changing product 400. The product image section 620 may
visually depict how the color-changing product 400 currently looks
or provide a visual rendering of what the color-changing product
400 may look like following confirmation of a command to change a
color and/or a pattern of the color-changing product 400 (e.g., via
the logo button 610, the first pattern button 630, the second
pattern button 640, the third pattern button 650, etc.).
[0101] The first pattern button 630, the second pattern button 640,
and/or the third pattern button 650 may facilitate selectively
manipulating the color and/or pattern of the color-changing product
400. By way of example, the first pattern button 630 may be
associated with a first predefined pattern (e.g., a striped
pattern, a checkered pattern, etc.), the second pattern button 640
may be associated with a second predefined pattern (e.g., a
gradient color pattern, etc.), and the third pattern button 650 may
be associated with a third predefined pattern (e.g., a solid color
pattern, etc.). In some embodiments, the patterns associated with
the first pattern button 630, the second pattern button 640, and/or
the third pattern button 650 are selectively set by the user (e.g.,
downloadable, chosen from a larger list, etc.) and/or selectively
customizable. In some embodiments, the GUI 600 provides fewer or
more than three pattern options (e.g., two, four, five, etc.
selectable patterns).
[0102] The battery meter button 660 may facilitate selectively
presenting a battery status or power level of the power supply 520
or the PV source 490 to the user of the input device 530 (e.g.,
upon selection by the user, etc.). The temperature button 670 may
facilitate selectively presenting a temperature setting and/or a
current temperature of the color-changing product 400 or various
individual portions thereof to the user of the input device 530
(e.g., upon selection by the user, etc.). The network information
button 680 may facilitate (i) selectively connecting the input
device 530 to a respective color-changing product 400 (i.e., the
controller 510 thereof) and/or (ii) selectively presenting network
connection information to the user of the input device 530 (e.g.,
upon selection by the user, etc.) regarding communication between
(a) the input device 530 and (b) the controller 510 (e.g.,
communication protocol type, connection strength, an identifier of
the color-changing product 400 connected to the input device 530,
etc.) and/or an external network (e.g., communication protocol
type, connection strength, etc.). The social media button 690 may
facilitate linking the app on the input device 530 to the user's
social media account(s) (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat,
Twitter, etc.). Such linking may allow the user to share the
patterns they have generated with their peers and/or facilitate
downloading patterns generated by others via their social media
account.
[0103] These examples are not intended as limiting but are provided
merely to provide certain non-exclusive examples of how fabrics
incorporating the color-changing fibers 10 disclosed herein may be
controlled by a user. It should be noted that although the
aforementioned examples contemplate the use of a wireless
electronic device such as a smart phone to communicate with and
change the color and/or pattern of a fabric and/or an individual
fiber, any of a variety of other types of controllers may be used
to control the color and/or pattern of a fabric, and may employ
wired or wireless communications connections, and may use any
useful wired or wireless communications protocols that are now
known or that may be hereafter developed. The color and/or pattern
changes may be manually activated at a desired time by a user or
may be programmed to occur (or not occur) at defined times and/or
intervals in the future. In some embodiments, the controller 510 is
configured to activate at least a portion of the color-changing
fibers 10 in response to the smartphone receiving a notification
(e.g., a text message, an email, a call, etc.). The type of
activation (e.g., color, pattern, etc.) or portion of the
color-changing product 400 that is activated may correspond with
the type of notification or the cause of such notification (e.g.,
the person texting, emailing, calling, etc.). The controller 510
may allow for programming of such timer settings and/or
notifications using any of a variety of possible programming
methods, all of which are intended to fall within the scope of the
present disclosure.
[0104] As utilized herein, the terms "approximately," "about,"
"substantially", and similar terms are intended to have a broad
meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of
ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this
disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in
the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to
allow a description of certain features described and claimed
without restricting the scope of these features to the precise
numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be
interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential
modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and
claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as
recited in the appended claims.
[0105] It should be noted that the term "exemplary" and variations
thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are
intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples,
representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such
terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are
necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
[0106] The term "coupled" and variations thereof, as used herein,
means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one
another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed)
or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be
achieved with the two members coupled directly to each other, with
the two members coupled to each other using a separate intervening
member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one
another, or with the two members coupled to each other using an
intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary
body with one of the two members. If "coupled" or variations
thereof are modified by an additional term (e.g., directly
coupled), the generic definition of "coupled" provided above is
modified by the plain language meaning of the additional term
(e.g., "directly coupled" means the joining of two members without
any separate intervening member), resulting in a narrower
definition than the generic definition of "coupled" provided above.
Such coupling may be mechanical, electrical, or fluidic.
[0107] The term "or," as used herein, is used in its inclusive
sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used to connect
a list of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the
elements in the list. Conjunctive language such as the phrase "at
least one of X, Y, and Z," unless specifically stated otherwise, is
understood to convey that an element may be either X, Y, Z; X and
Y; X and Z; Y and Z; or X, Y, and Z (i.e., any combination of X, Y,
and Z). Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended
to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at
least one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present, unless
otherwise indicated.
References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., "top,"
"bottom," "above," "below") are merely used to describe the
orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted
that the orientation of various elements may differ according to
other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended
to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
[0108] The hardware and data processing components used to
implement the various processes, operations, illustrative logics,
logical blocks, modules and circuits described in connection with
the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed
with a general purpose single- or multi-chip processor, a digital
signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit
(ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other
programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,
discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed
to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose
processor may be a microprocessor, or, any conventional processor,
controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor also may
be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a
combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of
microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a
DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments,
particular processes and methods may be performed by circuitry that
is specific to a given function. The memory (e.g., memory, memory
unit, storage device) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM,
ROM, Flash memory, hard disk storage) for storing data and/or
computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes,
layers and modules described in the present disclosure. The memory
may be or include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may
include database components, object code components, script
components, or any other type of information structure for
supporting the various activities and information structures
described in the present disclosure. According to an exemplary
embodiment, the memory is communicably connected to the processor
via a processing circuit and includes computer code for executing
(e.g., by the processing circuit or the processor) the one or more
processes described herein.
[0109] The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and
program products on any machine-readable media for accomplishing
various operations. The embodiments of the present disclosure may
be implemented using existing computer processors, or by a special
purpose computer processor for an appropriate system, incorporated
for this or another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments
within the scope of the present disclosure include program products
comprising machine-readable media for carrying or having
machine-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon.
Such machine-readable media can be any available media that can be
accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other
machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable
media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or other optical disk
storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,
or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired
program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data
structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or
special purpose computer or other machine with a processor.
Combinations of the above are also included within the scope of
machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include,
for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose
computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing
machines to perform a certain function or group of functions.
[0110] Although the figures and description may illustrate a
specific order of method steps, the order of such steps may differ
from what is depicted and described, unless specified differently
above. Also, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or
with partial concurrence, unless specified differently above. Such
variation may depend, for example, on the software and hardware
systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are
within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software
implementations of the described methods could be accomplished with
standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other
logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps,
comparison steps, and decision steps.
[0111] It is important to note that the construction and
arrangement of the fibers, yarns, fabrics, and end products as
shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only.
Additionally, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be
incorporated or utilized with any other embodiment disclosed
herein. Although only one example of an element from one embodiment
that can be incorporated or utilized in another embodiment has been
described above, it should be appreciated that other elements of
the various embodiments may be incorporated or utilized with any of
the other embodiments disclosed herein.
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